120 THE BIRDS OF KENT 



discovered in an ash plantation near the vihage of Ord. 

 The nest, which consisted of fibrous roots, was attached 

 to two upright stems of ash, around which the fibres 

 were carefully twisted. The entire structure, however, 

 was so thin that when discovered the young birds could 

 be seen through the bottom of the nest. The young 

 ones were taken every care of, but did not long survive 

 their captivity. In the summer of 1834 several young 

 Orioles were shot in the neighbourhood ; occasional 

 visitors had been seen in that locality for some years 

 previously. The Golden Oriole is common in several 

 parts of Europe, and particularly in France, from whence 

 I imagine those come which visit Kent. They are, I 

 believe, supposed to pass the winter in Africa. The 

 female is extremely attentive to her young, fearing no 

 enemy in their defence, and permitting herself to be 

 taken in the nest with them. In those countries where 

 they regularly breed the nest of the Oriole is generally 

 suspended from the bough of a tree, and not fixed 

 between upright boughs, as in the case above described." 

 — J. Pemberton Bartlett, Kingston, near Canterbury, 

 December, 1844 {Zoologist, 1845, p. 825). 



In the Zoologist, 1849, Mr. J. B. EUman states that 

 "two specimens, male and female, of this rare and 

 beautiful bird were obtained near Elmstone last week 

 (May), together with their nest (of very rare occurrence 

 in this country), which was suspended from the extreme 

 end of the top branch of an oak tree, and composed 

 entirely of wool carefully bound with dried grass ; it 

 contained three eggs of a pure white mottled with black. 

 The note of the male bird precisely resembles the whist- 

 ling of the common parrot, and is very powerful." 



Occurrence of the Golden Oriole at Elmstone. — "I send 



